Stephanie Steele

Steele’s access to PD files meant she knew where they’d taken Rachel. She headed straight to the largest android reclamation centre on the other side of the city. That was where androids went to die. All droids knew they’d end up there some day. Maybe if Rachel was salvageable she would have an ally in the case. Rachel would also be able to back her up about Edwards and the mayor and maybe she could clear her name. But also, she wanted her back for selfish reasons. Right now she was the loneliest girl on the planet and needed someone who genuinely cared for her. Just wanted that touch of affection.

Several worker droids were busy sorting android parts when Steele entered the large warehouse. A series of conveyors filled the warehouse with a clattering noise, taking chassis’s, drives, heads, limbs etc to different parts of the warehouse where several other worker droids stacked them on shelves ready to be re-used or crushed for melting down. She flashed her badge at one droid working at a holo computer who seemed to be in charge.

“I’m looking for a female droid who came in about two weeks ago.”

“We get a lot of scrap coming through here.” He told her and carried on working.

“Five-ten, blonde, green eyes, cute if she hadn’t been all banged up.”

“Like I said . . .”

“She was a cop.” Steele impressed on him.

“That I do remember because straight after we picked her up she got sold. We didn’t even have time to dismantle her.” He brought up a screen on the computer. “Usually people just want the odd spare part but this guy wanted the whole thing.”

“Who?” Her anticipation at finding her lover was washed away. If she knew who had bought her then there was just a chance she could track her down.

“I don’t know who.” He shrugged. “He paid cash, so who am I to say no?” He turned away then turned back quickly. “Strange thing was he paid over the odds for that hunk of junk.” Steele looked back at him, wondering. “If he could afford to pay that much why didn’t he just buy a new droid instead of some mangled piece of crap?” He said.

That was a good question. She ignored the fact that he called Nixon a hunk of junk and mangled piece of crap. She was more concerned with the fact that someone else had her now and what they wanted her for. Her look said disappointment to the droid worker but it was actually sadness. She hated the fact that the last time she’d set eyes on Rachel she was lying on the road in bits. That she’d left her there. She didn’t want that to be the last memory she had of her.

Steele’s next stop was at Mia’s house. The apartment was in a run down block sprayed with lots of artistic graffiti murals inside and out. The hallway seemed to have a resident homeless person who had made a comfortable sleeping place under the stairwell from paper and blankets. He complained about Steele’s presence. Her badge shut him up and he politely apologised and slugged back a mouthful of some liquid in a plastic container.

“The Kalarjian’s, which apartment?” Steele asked him. She already knew the answer but wanted to quiz him about other stuff so this was a starting point.

“I just sleep here. I don’t socialise with the residents, except Mrs Braun in apartment four who gives me something to eat from time to time.” He grinned a black toothed smile and scratched at his beard like it was irritating him.

“The father was murdered. He had a thirteen year old girl. You must have seen or heard something.”

“I keep to myself and myself keeps to me. But I see things.” He clamped a dirty hand over his mouth as if he’d had no control over what he’d just said, trying to shut himself up.

Steele tossed him ten dollars. “What do you see?”

He raised the ten dollars to the dim light bulb to check its authenticity then stowed it in his pocket.

“I didn’t tell you this.” He tapped his nose as if what he was about to say was a secret between them. “Apartment twenty, top floor. I was asleep so I didn’t see her come in, but I heard the shot and saw her leave. She was shorter than you, wearing all black, same as you, but had a mask on.” He showed his teeth again, then continued. “I didn’t see her face. I saw the body though, before the cops got here. His whole head was just about gone.” He made a disappearing gesture with his hand.

“How do you know the killer was female?”

He motioned a pair of breasts with his hands and sniggered.

She scanned Frank’s report on Vern’s murder. “There’s no record of you giving a statement mister . . ?”

He laughed as if giving his name was a trick on her part.

“That’s what I get for ten dollars?” Steele complained.

“No refunds.” He hunkered down under a blanket until Steele started to climb the stairs, then popped his head out and grinned his stained teeth grin, pleased with himself.

Steele kicked in the door to the Kalarjian’s apartment on her first attempt. Police tape which had been stuck across the door had fallen to the floor. She pushed open the door and looked at the chalk line where Vern’s body had laid minus most of his head. She scanned the scene without entering. Her visual display told her that the blood on the floor and up the wall was a match for Vernon Kalarjian which was already in the file she had accessed.

She calculated the trajectory of the bullet which told her the killer had shot him from the doorway. She raised her hand and formed it into the shape of a blaster, lifting it to the height the killer would’ve had her weapon. A noise from down the hall made her turn her head.

An old Hispanic lady was watching her through her apartment door. Steele flashed her badge. “Police. Go inside your apartment ma’am.” The woman did as she was told and shut the door.

Steele stepped into the apartment, avoiding the blood stains on the carpet. She checked out the kitchen, main bedroom then entered a child’s room. Mia’s. She took her time to check it out. There was only a small bed with one blanket and pillow. The mattress looked grubby and stained. There was a strange smell; she couldn’t determine what. A wardrobe door stood with open doors. Inside two lonely dresses hung on hangers. There were sockets and cables for a computer but no computer. There weren’t any of the things you’d associate with a teenager’s bedroom. No toys or games. No posters of the latest pop bands hung on the walls. Only peeling paper and cracked paint and implication of a tortured childhood.

A small stuffed toy caught her eye lying under the bed. She scooped it out. A tatty bear, an ear all chewed. She smelled it. It had the smell of the little girl she had failed. Sorry Mia. She laid the bear on the pillow and made her way to the living room.

Frank and his team had gone through everything in the apartment. Drawers were left open, personal belongings were scattered on the floor. She scanned the papers on the floor for anything. Any sort of clue. There were old greetings cards, a notebook, playing cards, a child’s drawing and newspapers and other scraps of paper and documents. Nothing which stood out. She checked through the drawers in case there were things still inside. Still nothing gave her a clue that would link Vern to Leon. She was about to leave when the vid phone rang. She was going to let it ring but she had that feeling she should answer.

“Answer phone with video off.” She commanded.

The voice on the other end of the phone was female and well spoken. “Mister Kalarjian?”

Steele spoke in a male voice as she had done in Archie’s Bar. She hoped the caller didn’t know Vern that well. “This is Mister Kalarjian.”

“Hi, it’s Cheryl from Red Hill Spar. I’m afraid the companion you chose last month for your appointment on Saturday is unavailable.” She was very apologetic. “Freya had a malfunction and won’t be fixed in time. Would you like to make another choice or cancel altogether?”

Steele paused to think.

Red Hill Spar was a legal spar where you could have sex with androids of any age. Even children. They prided themselves on providing this service. Their ads even said so. Cyber Dolls they called them. Androids specially built for human sexual gratification. It was not uncommon for people to be violent towards the Cyber Dolls. You could pay for that privilege. She was betting that’s what had happened to Vern’s choice of Doll.

“Mister Kalarjian?” The voice on the other end of the phone sounded worried when she didn’t get an immediate response.

“Can you choose a girl that resembles her? I’ll leave it to your judgement.”

The caller sounded relieved not to have to deal with a complaint. Steele sensed she was smiling. “We have Zoe. She’s Asian and very similar to Freya.”

“Thank you. Can you confirm the time for me? My memory’s not so good these days.”

“It’s two thirty. The appointment has been amended, and thank you for understanding Mister Kalarjian.”

“Do I need to bring anything with me? ID?”

“Just your membership card.”

Steele thanked her and ended the call. She searched the pile of papers on the floor again. Mixed in with the playing cards was a membership card for the Red Hill Spar. She pocketed it and left.

The homeless guy watched as she left the building. He wasn’t the only one. A figure dressed in black was also watching from the shadows of a neighbouring building. The figure had a female form.

Freddy was sat at his computer when Steele returned. She removed her disguise and looked to see what he was doing on the screen. He closed it down so she couldn’t see.

“Any luck?”

“She’s gone.”

“Like I was saying . . .”

“Forget it Freddy.” She was testy with him. Rachel had gone and there was no way of getting her back. She had to resign herself to that fact now. Their affair had been brief and she hadn’t had time to form an emotional attachment so it didn’t affect her like losing Uma had done. Still, there was a pang. Guilt? Pain? Lost hope?

Freddy saw it was no good to argue when she was in this mood. He called up the computer screen again. “Right, this may not mean anything but I’ve found a connection between the mayor and chief Edwards. They were both members of the same spar.” He looked pleased until she spoke.

“Red Hill Spar, right?”

“How do you know?” He was disappointed she’d stolen his thunder.

She tossed Vern’s spar members card on the desk. “Mia’s father was also member.”

His smile returned as he pulled up a bank statement on the screen. “But I bet you didn’t know this.” Steele leaned into the screen as he continued. “The mayor was receiving regular payments from a company called Global Enterprises whose subsidiary company is Cyber Corp who make those Cyber Doll sex droids and guess who’s one of their customers?”

“Red Hill Spar?”

“Why am I even bothering if you know?” He moaned.

“It was the probable answer considering the beginning of our conversation.” She said matter-of-factly. “But what’s the connection between the mayor, Edwards, Mia’s father and Global Enterprises apart from the spar? Have a look at Red Hill’s database. See if you can join the dots.”

“Already tried. It’s not connected online. Their system is a stand-alone system, which means they are very wary about someone else seeing what’s contained in their files.”

“Mia’s father had an appointment this Saturday. He’s going to keep that appointment. Or rather you are. You’re booked in with a girl called Zoe.”

His face lit up. Now she was talking. This he could do and do it with enthusiasm.

“Don’t be too depressed about it, will you?” She said pouring herself another of his cheap whiskies.